Device for testing the viscosity of liquids



Aug. 29, 1933.

M. B. WHEELER Filed Jan.

DEVICE FOR TESTING THE VISCOSITY OF LIQUIDS 2 Sheets-Sheet l 9/ I 29 z9 "/23 0| f y #6 l. Ill M] 1m W 40 1 MB. Wheeler INVENTOR M ATTTMY;

1933- M. B. WHEELER 1,924,969

DEVICE FORTESTING THE VISCOSITY OF LIQUIDS Filed'Jan. 20, 1931 2 Shets-Sheet 2 I/II/Il/I J $1.5. ZZPzeeZQ/r INVENTOR 4'44 g ATTORNEY 5 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DEVICE FOR TESTING THE VISCOSITY OF LIQUIDS Marion B. Wheeler, Raleigh, N. 0.

Application January 20, 1931. Serial No. 510,054

1 Claim. '(Cl. 265-11) This invention relates to liquid testing maarm is pivotally mounted as shown at 19 and a chines, an object being to provide a machine spring 20 serves to normally disengage the conwhich while capable of testing liquids of various tacts 17 and 18 so that when it is desired to opkinds, is especially adapted for testing oils. erate the motor, the arm 16 must be pressed in- Oils, and especially those used for lubricating wardly to complete the circuit. 60

purposes, should meet certain requirements as to Extending downwardly from the motor 14 is viscosity, flash and fire. The most important rea shaft or spindle 21, and secured to the lower quirement for lubricating oil is its ability to mainend of this shaft or spindle as shown at 22 is a tain surface tension, so as'to set up and maintain driving member, shown in the drawings as a disk a separating film between two relatively moving 23. 55 surfaces and thus reduce friction and wear. The spindle 21 extends through a hollow shaft The present invention has for its primaryob- 24 which is mounted for rotation in a bearing ject the provision of a device by means of which provided in the arm 12 and this hollow shaft has the viscosity or surface tension of oils may be acsecured upon its upper end a beveled pinion 25 curately determined under the same conditions which engages a beveled pinion 26 carried at the 70 to which the oils are subjected when in actual inner end of a horizontally disposed shaft 27. use, together with means whereby the results of The lower end of the hollow shaft 24 is recessed these tests may be plainly read at any degree as shown at 28 and carries at its lower end a disk Fahrenheit. 29. This disk is opposed to the disk 23 but is held 'With the above and other objects in view, the in close spaced relation through the engagement 75 invention further includes the following novel of the gear With a flange 30 extending p features and details of construction, to be here- 1y from the arm 12- y Other means y b inafter more fully described, illustrated in the provided wh ch Will d t driving member accompanying drawings and pointed out in the disk 23 from the driven member or disk 29. An

25 appended claim. opening 31 is provided in the lower end of the In the drawings: a hollow shaft 24 so as to admit liquid to the space Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section ilbetween the disks 23 and 29. v lustrating a liquid testing machine constructed The shaft 27 operates in anti-friction bearings in accordance with the invention. 32 and 33 carried by the standard 10 and the arm Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the same. 13 respectively, and secured to the outer end of Figure 3 is a front elevation. this arm is a dial 34 which is graduated as shown Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken a 35 130 represent Seconds viscosity. Secured to substantially on the line 44 of Figure 3. the shaft 27 is an indicator 36 which is movable In carrying out the invention, use is made of at around the dial and while the latter is divided 35 driving member and a driven member, which are int raduati ns which may be f in as independently movable and held in close spaced va u fr m z r t s divisi s a represent relation, the said members being arranged to re any d t rmin d u its f m asur r additi na ceive a supply of liquid between them so as to graduations y b provided foltthat p p provide a coupling, together with means to indi- Secured upon the outer end of the shaft 2'7 is a cate the surface tension of the liquid at various v d pu l y 37 and atta h d t t pu s degrees Fahrenheit. one end of a flexible member 38 to which is at- For this purpose, various mans may be emt h d a Weight ployed, one of which is shown in the accompany- Removably and adiustably secured to the ing drawings for the purpose of illustrating the a da d 10 is a ho der 40 a for this P p invention. This consists in providing a frame the holder includes a plate 41 which is provided which includes a post or a standard 10 which rises w th Offset lug 42 which extend into a 810i? from a base 11 and which is provided with opp ovided in h Standard A180 extending. positely extending arms 12 and 13, while a motor through this slot is a threaded pin 44 which has 14 which will operate at any definite number of mounted thereon a thumb nut 45, the latter acting 50 revolutions per minute, is mounted upon the to bind the holder in adjusted position. A cup upper end of the standard. This motor may reor other like container 46 is retained within the ceive current from a suitable source through a holder by meansof spring clips 4'7 which extend cable 15 to one end of which is attached a switch from the plate 41 so that the cup or container may arm 16. This arm carries a contact 1'7 which is be removably mounted. In addition, the holder 55 adapted to engage a stationary contact 18. The 40 accommodates an electric or other heating unit 48, by means of which the contents of the container may be heated. A thermometer 49 is removably mounted in the arm 12 and extends downwardly into the container, as do also the driving and driven members 23 and 29 respectively.

A sample of the oil or other liquid to be tested is placed within the container 46 and the latter positioned so that the members23 and 29 will be immersed in the oil, oil entering the recess 29' through the opening 31 so as to be distributed over the opposed faces of the disks 23 and 29. Operation of the motor will rotate the disk 23, and the latter will be coupled to the disk 29 by the film of oil between the disks. By feeding the oil to the disks from the recess 28, the oil is thrown centrifugally outward so as to maintain a constant film between the disks.v Rotation of the driven disk 29 will be retarded through the weight 39. The heating unit 48 will heat the contents of the container, and as the opposed surfaces of the disks 23 and, 29 represent the opposed surfaces of two relatively movable members, the oil will be subjected to the same action as though it were in actual use. As the disks 23 and 29 are held in close spaced relation, the coupling efiect of the oil will decrease as operation continues and the heat of the oil is increased. Thus the indicator 36 will show the viscous characteristics of the oil as operation continues, and this may be easily read upon the dial, and when taken in connection with the thermometer 49 will accurately register the viscosity or surface tension at any degree Fahrenheit.

The invention is susceptible of various changes in its form, proportions and minor details of construction and the right'is herein reserved to make such changes as properly fall within the scope of the appended claim.

Having described the invention what is claimed Is:

In a device for testing liquids, a frame, a liquid container removably supported thereby, means to heat the liquid within the container, a driving disk operating within the container, means to operate the driving disk, a tubular driven member including a disk arranged adjacent to and spaced from the driving disk and having a liquid reservoir communicative with said container and said driving disk to admit liquid between the disks and provide a coupling to operate the driven member, means to retard operation of the driven member, and an indicator operated by the driven member, the distance between the disks remaining fixed while the latter are rotating.

MARION B. WHEELER. 

